It Takes Love to Live
by The New Fullmetal Alchemist
Summary: It is often said that one does not live unless one loves. But when it comes to Roy Mustang, who can say? After putting a friend in danger, will he finally learn what love truly is and be able to finally live Life? Please R&R! Roy and Ed, not exactly Yaoi.
1. Part 1

**Hey, everyone! This is for my fanfic buddy Roy-Fan-33! Go check out her profile for her brand spankin' new website! I'd put up the link, but doesn't like links, so let me work on that for a while, ok? Anyway, this is going to be a multi-part story, and I'm doing it to commemorate her new site! That and she asked me to write it... and guess what - it's RoyxEd! I've been wanting to do a story series like this for a while, and here we go! Have fun, kiddies! If you don't like yaoi, then I'm sorry! Review and enjoy! Don't forget to visit Roy-Fan-33's site! Especially once I get the link up:)**

**I do not own FMA - but I do love RoyxEd fics!**

"It Takes Love to Live, Part 1"

Roy Mustang paced up and down his office, his heart pounding. A stack of paperwork sat neglected on his desk. But this time Roy wasn't ignoring his work because he was being lazy, but because he was too _nervous_ to think about anything – or anyone – else…

"Mustang, what were you _thinking_?" he mumbled aloud to himself. He mentally kicked himself for making such a grave error as he had the two days before. Everything had been fine for a while, sure, but now – _now_ – well, now was just a different story entirely…

"How could you? Why do you keep forgetting that not everyone is like you? That not everyone joined the military for the same reasons that you did?" he continued to mumble. He stopped his pacing – he had reached his desk again. He looked out the open window behind his desk; looked out at the sun-lit parade grounds that stretched out grandly in front of Central Military Headquarters; at the armed soldiers beginning to gather there…

"Dammit!" he shouted. "How could I have done that! Why did I do that to him? Him of all people! Dammit, Roy!" He sat weakly in a chair in front of his desk, the one so commonly occupied by _him_, and put his head in his hands. He breathed deeply for a few minutes, trying to calm himself down and slow his racing mind. But then, with a sudden thought, his pulse began to beat heavily, his hands shook, and his brow broke out into a cold sweat; "Oh, God…" he whispered, eyes wide with panic, "what have I done…?" And with that he jumped out of the chair and bolted out of his office and down the corridor towards the parade grounds, where the specialized task force was being assembled to rescue one Edward Elric…

…

**So, how was it? Big cliffie, eh? Just wait for the next part! Wahahaa!**


	2. Part 2

**Hey! How's it going? Hope you're liking the story so far! It's in parts, BTW, b/c it's pretty long, but not long enough to be put into actual chapters… so yeah… here's Roy-Fan-33's site! B/C is bad about links, I'm going to do it in "line" format... so please, bear with me, and try your best to put the puzzle pieces together! **

**freewebs dot com slash roy-fan-33**

**Get it? Got it? Good! Now, please read and visit her site:) **

**I do not own FMA – but I did e-mail Vic Mignogna yesterday! He says he loves FMA to death! Eeee!**

"It Takes Love to Live, Part 2"

Roy Mustang stood next to Maes Hughes, doubled over and gasping for air – he had just run the entire way from his office to the military parade grounds and was absolutely winded. Maes looked down at him in mild amusement.

"So, Roy, what's this all about then? Finally realize just how big of a mess Fullmetal is in?"

Roy jerked his black-haired head up at the comment. He stared Hughes dead in the eyes. "Do you think I'm actually that dense?" he spat.

Hughes gave a goofy grin and waved a hand in the air. "Sorry, I'm sorry! Geez, Roy, I knew that, I was just having a little bit of – "

"Don't you dare say it, Hughes!"

"… fun…" Hughes finished, deflated. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and looked curiously at his best friend, who was now taking stock of the soldiers around him, making sure that only the best of the best had been assembled… Hughes knew that Roy cared deeply for all of his subordinates, but still… Roy had been acting very strange these past few days… first, he sends the Fullmetal Alchemist, the very person Roy had always been so protective of, out on the most dangerous undercover mission Central HQ had seen in years; next, he seemed to pay almost no attention to the report that had been sent in almost two days ago stating that gunfire had been observed in the area under surveillance, and that the Fullmetal Alchemist had been taken prisoner; finally, Roy comes running out the way he does, filled with terror and regret. Hughes narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. It wasn't like Roy to regret _anything_, much less have an emotional reaction towards one of his subordinates all at once like that… he cared for his men too much to ignore their plight… perhaps he _didn't_ care?

'_No, no, that can't be it…_' Hughes thought as he observed Roy shouting out orders, fire burning in his onyx eyes. '_Unless…'_ Hughes stopped breathing; his eyes grew wide. '_That's it!_' he thought excitedly. '_That's the reason!_ _That explains it all! Why he sent Edward, of all people, on such a dangerous mission! Why he seemed to refuse to believe at first that Ed was in trouble! Why he's acting the way he is right now! It's not that he doesn't care enough! It's that he cares _more_ than he used to! Roy Mustang is in love with Edward Elric!_'

"Wahahahaaaa!" Hughes laughed out loud, excited at having finally solved this "riddle."

Roy turned and looked at him, fear and confusion written plainly on his face.

"Alright, men!" Hughes shouted at the assembled soldiers, who, before turning towards the laughing Hughes with looks similar to Roy's, were about to get into the military vans. "MOVE OUT!" Hughes bellowed.

A cheer rose up from the soldiers as they quickly loaded into the vans, their blood pumping and adrenaline rushing at the thought of going into the mission.

Roy stood there, dumbfounded, as Hughes climbed into the back of the last van.

"Well, Roy? Are you coming or not?" Hughes asked with a smile as he stretched out a hand towards the Colonel.

Roy stood for a moment, then gave a large smile as he took Hughes' proffered hand and climbed into the back of the van. As the vehicle's engine roared to life, Roy looked back at the Military Headquarters building, shining brilliantly white in the early morning sun. "I'm coming, Ed…" he whispered as the van rumbled down the road, heading south towards Edward Elric…

…

**Wow! So, how do you guys like so far? Sorry it's a cliffie! But… As we speak, I am typing up part 3! Should be the final part, but I'm really not sure yet… No more than 5 parts though, any more would be simply ridiculous… Please R&R!**


	3. Part 3

**Alright! Part 3! Woohoo! Yeah, sorry guys, but it looks like there will be 5 parts after all… sigh… You know what? I'm just going to make all 5 of these parts their own story… I was going to do a whole story series, but this thing has just gotten a life of it's own and is so long now I don't think I can honestly keep putting it in as part of a series of "short" stories! Sigh… Ok… the deed has been done… sob!**

**I do not own FMA – but this story is now officially up on Roy-Fan-33's new site! (Either go to the last entry to piece together the site address, or go to my profile!)**

"It Takes Love to Live pt. 3"

After a long and bumpy ride down unpaved roads, the vans finally rolled to a stop across the street from a cluster of small buildings, conveniently protected by a large cement wall. Roy and Hughes poked their heads out of the back of their van, looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and then quietly jumped out of the van. After searching all around the vans for any signs of enemy gunmen, Hughes gave a nod to Roy, who then quietly motioned for the soldiers to come out as well. Once the soldiers were assembled behind the vans, out of sight of the buildings, Hughes gave them their orders.

"Ok, everyone, we're going into a tough one; Investigations hasn't been able to make much headway other than that the rebels in these buildings here are anti-military and playing a strong role in the black-market trading of large weapons. We sent Fullmetal in to investigate further, but unfortunately he was taken hostage – we received a ransom note of sorts just over two days ago. Other than that, that's all we know – we're basically going into this one with our hands tied, men, so do what you do best!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded, preparing themselves for the battle ahead.

"Alright, then – Meyers! Greenwell! You two will lead the assault! Orwell, Hav-"

"No!"

Hughes stopped. He turned and looked at Roy.

"No – _I'll_ lead the assault."

"But, Roy – !"

"I'm a State Alchemist, Maes," Roy told him with a pained grin. "I can take care of myself."

Hughes stared at him for a while. After a minute, he consented. "Alright, Roy, do whatever you want… Havoc! Hawkeye! Flank the 'Flame Idiot' here and make sure he doesn't get blown up! Meyers and Greenwell, you cover them from behind! You three over there, I want you to – "

Roy stood there looking at his Lieutenants, slightly surprised. "I didn't know you two were coming!"

"We were almost afraid you weren't!" Jean Havoc told him with a smile, cigarette dangling.

Roy just shook his head, smiling.

"Sir?" Riza Hawkeye asked, cool and collected as always. "Are you ready?"

Roy looked around. The soldiers were still assembling themselves according to Maes' orders, but he felt confident enough in his two subordinates to go it without the others. He nodded. "Alright, Lieutenants, let's go."

"Yes, sir!" they saluted.

Roy struck out towards the well-protected buildings, being sure to keep out of sight of windows and any other vantage points where enemy snipers could be hiding. Havoc kept to Roy's left, while Hawkeye opted to stay just a bit behind in order to provide cover if needed.

Once across the street, Roy crouched along the wall until he reached the gate – locked.

"Damn…" Roy cursed under his breath. Havoc shrugged his shoulders to show his lack of ideas. Roy was about to bite the bullet and jump the wall (at the risk of being seen or shot) when Riza slunk up beside him, pulled a bobby-pin out of her hair, and successfully picked the lock. She slowly opened the gate, making the opening just wide enough for a person to pass through.

Havoc went through first, eyes darting back and forth for any sign of suspicious movement… there was… nothing?

Roy crawled through and looked around – no one in the windows, no guards, nothing – in fact, most of everything was boarded up and apparently abandoned.

"Uh, Havoc? Is this really the right place?" Roy asked, puzzled as to why no one was trying to kill them yet.

"Yeah, Chief, I'm pretty sure… I don't get it, though – there's no one here!"

"Yes, it is strange, isn't it?" Hawkeye added after slowly closing the gate behind her. She saw Hughes out of the corner of her eye – he was running around wildly, looking for something – most likely Roy. (They had, after all, left without notifying him of their plans). Riza sighed. Roy hadn't said anything, so she wouldn't either.

Roy carefully stood up… nothing. He looked around at the buildings – there were five of them, each about two or so stories, and all in varying states of disrepair; bricks falling out, doors off their hinges, roofs with holes… Yet all in all they appeared exactly the same: empty. Roy sighed as he put his hands on his hips.

"Well," he said, "we'll have to start somewhere… Ed could be in any one of these buildings…"

"_If_ he still _is_ in the buildings." Havoc pointed out.

Roy winced. He didn't want to have to think about that… The implications of what it meant were enormous – if the terrorists were gone – if _Ed_ was gone – then it meant that the rebels were tired of waiting around for the military to show up, which would _not_ be good… If that was the case, then the military no longer had any leads and no leverage – Ed's life would be out of the military's hands. Roy shuddered, shaking the thought from his mind as well; he had to get a grip on himself if he was ever going to save Fullmetal…

Roy narrowed his eyes and straightened himself to his full height, squaring his jaw and his shoulders; he cut an imposing picture.

"Havoc, Hawkeye," he said in a dark, commanding tone, "you two split off and search the buildings on either end – I'll take the one in the middle."

"But, sir – !" Hawkeye began to protest before Havoc flung his arm out and stopped her. He gave her a look that plainly said, 'There's nothing we can do – we're just going to have to trust him.'

Hawkeye reluctantly nodded. She turned and looked one last time at her commanding officer, who was now walking across the long stretch of dirt in front of the buildings, before standing up, face set and resilient. Then she did as she was told and made her way over towards the buildings on the far right, Havoc following suite shortly after and entering the buildings on the far left.

Roy watched both of his subordinates safely enter the buildings. He gripped the handle of the door to the middle building – by far the largest and the most intact – and gave one last, deep breath before opening the door and swiftly entering the dark building, feeling for all the world as if he were in another life, another time, another world…

…

**Yeah, yeah, I know, I know – another cliff-hanger! I'm sorry! I really am! It's just that whenever I'm writing, I stop wherever the piece seems to naturally stop! I'm just listening to my wild author instincts! (Anyone else think that that's a bit ironic?) Anyway, part 4 is cooking along! Hopefully it will be up soon! And to all of my "Adventures" readers, I haven't forgotten you! Please just be patient! I want to try and finish this piece for Roy-Fan-33's birthday tomorrow! Please R&R!**


	4. Part 4

**EDIT: In case anyone was wondering, yes, I _did_ just replace this part with another, longer version… and, no, this does not happen often – just be glad that I decided to combine parts 4 and 5 instead of leave you with double-cliff-hangers! Wahahaha! And now, back to my original A/N:**

**My original A/N: Hey, all! Thanks, everyone, for all of your intense interest in this piece! I'm glad you all think that it's going well! (I, however, still don't know _what_ to think…) Well, I did have something in mind to say, but I can't remember it right now, so screw it – read on, dearest RoyxEd lovers, and please let me know what you think! Anyone and everyone, review! **

**I do not own FMA – but have you visited Roy-Fan-33's site yet?**

"It Takes Love to Live, part 4"

'_I have a mission for you, Fullmetal – if you're willing, that is…_'

'_Of course I am, you bastard! Now what is it you want me to do now?_'

'_There's a pocket of military resistance just about 30 miles south of here; apparently they're dealing heavily in weapons trade on the black market…_'

'_Is that _all?_ I can handle that, no problem!_'

'_Are you sure, Fullmetal? This is pretty heavy stuff we're dealing with, here – and there's no telling how dangerous these people are… You know what, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you, you're much too young – I'll have Investigations get right on it…_'

'_I said I can handle it!_'

'_Fullmetal, seriously now, I'm sorry, we can handle it, I – _'

'_Damn it, you can't keep treating me like some little kid! Now _back off!'

"Nnnhh… No…"

'_Well, well, well, what do we have here? Ah, a little spy, huh? Haha! This is going to be fun, now isn't it, guys?_'

'_Haha! Yeah, boss, you're right!_'

'_Can we teach this punk a lesson?_'

'_Yeah! Show that damn military that they should watch what they're doing!_'

'_Hmm, I suppose that will be alright… Just don't act too rough with him, now; we need to be fair, after all – the military will come expecting their lost dog, not a corpse…_'

'_Hahahaa! You got it, boss!_'

"No… no…"

'_Oh man, this is going to be good! Haha! Now come on, little dog, we have to teach you not to put your nose where it doesn't _belong!'

"NO…!"

…

Roy stopped dead in his tracks, his blood chilled. He turned his head slowly from side to side.

'_What on earth,_' he thought, '_was THAT_?'

Whatever the noise had been, it was certainly gone now. Roy continued to walk along through the dark, musty building, his eyes gradually adjusting themselves until he could see the pale forms of furniture, doors, and stairs. He didn't want to use any of his flame alchemy for fear it would attract a guard's attention… Roy's mind wandered, first to his conversation a few days ago with Edward, then to the ransom letter Hughes had shown him in the van, and then finally to…

Roy shook his head back and forth, letting out an involuntary shudder as well. '_This is why I hate the dark_,' he thought, '_you're always left alone with your thoughts…_'

…

"Aww, man, this really sucks…" Havoc sighed wearily as he made his way through cobwebs and navigated over rotten floor-boards. "Why the hell should I even bother? There's no one here…"

"BANG!"

"What the hell - !" Havoc shouted as he quickly ran back the way he had come and out into the open. He quickly looked left, right, and then finally _up_ – there was smoke coming from a window on the top floor of the middle building…

"Shit!" he swore as he ran towards the building. He noticed the other assembled soldiers quickly running after him. "No, no! Stay out, stay out! You all stay out here and provide back-up! Don't shoot at anyone in the windows unless they shoot at you!" he shouted at the top of his voice.

Hughes reaffirmed these orders before tearing after Havoc into the middle building, pistol in hand.

"Damn it, Roy, what did you do now!" Hughes yelled as he followed Havoc up the stairs two at a time.

Havoc just laughed; laughed and prayed that they wouldn't be too late…

…

Hawkeye quietly traipsed through the second of the two buildings assigned to her; the first one had been so derelict there was no way _anyone_ could have been inside of it… she sighed. There was obviously no one here… '_Maybe I should go check in on Havoc…_' she thought, assuming that Roy wouldn't want to be bothered until she was needed. Yet when she heard a gun-shot from the building next door, she knew what she had to do…

…

Roy coughed, his eyes watering from the smoke. A deep, cruel laugh filled the room.

"HAHAHAA! It's going to take more than that to stop me, Mr. Flame Colonel!"

"Damn it…" Roy muttered, raising his gloved hand, complete with transmutation circle, out in front of him, ready to strike as soon as he saw his target.

Smoke poured out the window of the room; a small fire caused by Roy's alchemy smoldered in the corner, then died in a pile of ash. Roy shook his head, trying to clear his head as well as his eyes of the acrid gas. He had the strangest feeling… a feeling that had been present for a long time, but he was only just now becoming aware of it – an odd, floaty feeling, as if he wasn't truly in his body. Roy felt as if he was seeing everything in front of him from a point just above his head. He felt dizzy and numb… '_What is this…?_' he thought slowly, trying desperately to regain his focus by shaking his head again – trying vainly to throw off that strange, out-of-body feeling…

The smoke cleared… a tall, well-built man stood in front of him, black, tribal-design tattoos covering his arms, his dark brown hair cut short except for long bangs that partially shaded his eyes. He smiled cruelly at Mustang – he could tell that his opponent was anything but able to fight – and that was a factor he was going to take full advantage of…

Roy shook his head again, eyes becoming vacant and distant. Inside his mind an argument was going on – and the part responsible for his current state was winning handily – the part that was telling him to give up, that it was all worthless – that life had nothing more to offer him, and so he should just go home… Until…

"Hahahaa! I do have to hand it to you, Mr. Colonel," the terrorist leader told him, an evil smiling curling around his lips, "that boy of yours – that _Fullmetal_, as you call him, is a real trooper – not many could stand up after doing what we do to spies, but he's just been one bundle of surprises after the next! It's been real fun, let me tell you! My boys were actually kind of hoping that no one would come for him, we've been having such a great time! Hahaaa!"

Roy's eyes snapped open wide, the voices in his head vanishing in an instant as a flood of anger came rushing through him – aware of his every move but having no say in them at all, he snapped his fingers, commanding pure power and heat throughout the second-story room.

"ROY!" Maes shouted, ducking behind the door frame as fire engulfed the room, Hawkeye and Havoc ducking for cover as well; yet as suddenly as the flames had appeared, they were gone, filled instead by a powerful, booming voice – a voice that was unmistakably Roy's, and yet not his at all…

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM! WHERE IS HE! YOU BASTARD, TELL ME WHERE HE HIS!" Roy shouted as the smoke cleared; that previous, dizzy feeling was gone, and was instead replaced with an anger and hatred so intense that it was blinding him. However, his inability to see things as himself remained…

The man, skin black and burnt, lay gasping on the floor; he tried to crawl away…

Roy rushed up to him, grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up off of his feet, narrowly glaring at him with distant, fury-filled eyes. "Where _is _he!" Roy spat, his voice, his stature, everything about him radiating with hate and rage.

The man struggled in Roy's grasp, finally managing to choke out, "…in… the cellar…"

Roy dropped the man immediately and barreled out of the room and down the stairs, completely unaware of the three people who were just outside the doorway.

Hughes watched Roy run past, stricken with shock. Havoc and Hawkeye watched as well, completely speechless. What they had just witnessed – the _man_ that they had just witnessed – was _not _Roy Mustang… the man they had seen fighting so vehemently – the man who had just moments ago been shouting with such hatred – was a man empty and void – a mere soul-less shadow of the former Roy Mustang…

…

Roy raced through the building and down the stairs, his mind and soul seeming to suffocate as the darkness closed in – he no longer had any semblance of thoughts to be alone with, and so he was not scared – but when he noticed that his legs were carrying him but feeling nothing, he realized with a fading awareness that he was dying inside…

…

Edward trembled on the ground, violently coughing up blood – he weakly looked up to see a vicious smile curled on the face of his assailant, the man's eyes glowing in what was becoming an ever-greater darkness… Edward hazily realized through his fading consciousness that his body was failing him and that he was dying…

…

Hughes, Hawkeye, and Havoc did their best to try and follow the Colonel, but with the darkness of the building and the sudden emergence of the "missing" rebels, they quickly lost him…

"Shit!" Maes swore between rounds from his pistol and the occasional thrown knife. He desperately looked the way that Roy had gone – towards the cellar. He gritted his teeth. Roy would have to make it on his own again – right now, his back-up had bigger issues – and in need of back-up of its own…

…

Roy panted. He slowly stretched his hand out and grasped the handle to the only door in the cellar. He gripped it; it was icy and wet with condensation, and sent a dull shiver through Roy's spine. Roy forcibly slowed his breathing, squared his shoulders, and tried to regain and compose what was left of his conscious thought. With a final intake of breath, he turned the handle and swung the door open – revealing a site that made his blood run cold…

…

**WAHAHAHAAAA! Ok, now you have to ask yourself, "is one uber cliff-hanger better than two uber cliff-hangers?" I think you already know the answer to that one… once again, just be glad that I had a fight with my conscience, and that parts 4 and 5 were combined… if you're interested in knowing, part 5 was going to be just those 4 paragraphs, but I didn't want to do 6 parts in this story… Heehee! Please review! Let me know what you think! **


	5. Part 5

**Wow, everyone, WOW… For starters, I'm really sorry that this has taken so long – you see, first I burned myself out with all of the writing that I've been doing, and so, because of that, I decided to do a "tv turn-off week" – and can you believe it, I lasted the week! You should be proud of me… Anyway! I really do think that you all will like this very much! I sent snippets as I went along to poor Roy-Fan-33… poor thing, she's probably a nervous wreck by now – I would cut it off at the nastiest cliff-hangers, man! Woo, boy! Haha! Sorry, Roy-Fan-33, that's just how I enjoy having fun! Haha! However, I did make her cry! I know that sounds awful, but for me it's good – it means that I've finally done it – I have truly _written_ a piece… Aaaah… Anyway, let me know what you think! I'll have a big, important question for you guys at the end, so heads up!**

**I do not own FMA – but have you visited Roy-Fan-33's site yet? You should have… If not, shame on you!... Anyway… Better get out your Kleenex and have your therapist on speed-dial…**

"It Takes Love to Live, part 5"

_'Look, Uwon, a new play-friend for you!'_

_'W-what the hell is _that?_'_

_'Oh, come now, Edward, be kind to our dear Uwon! He's very self-conscious, you know…But now that you mention it, we really have no idea what he is – or what he was…'_

_'UWON'S NEW FRIEND…'_

_'Yes, yes, very good, Uwon! Now, play nice! And try not to kill him – we need him later for other… things…'_

_'EDWARD…'_

_'No! N-no! Leave me alone!'_

_'EDWARD…'_

_'Don't touch me! Get away! GET AWAY!'_

_ 'NO!'_

"EDWARD!"

…

Blood-red eyes shot up, staring ruthlessly at the man at the door; blue uniform charred and covered with dust; jet-black hair mussed and damp with sweat; teeth clenched, chest heaving, and dark, empty eyes blazing with hate and blood-lust; the man in the doorway was obviously desperate, and would therefore be reckless in his actions and entirely unpredictable – finally, a worthy opponent… "play time" had ended so quickly with the last one… the creature was lonely… and bored…

Yellowed fangs were revealed in the dim light of the small lamp over-head, the beastly grin sending yet another chill up Roy Mustang's back.

With giant, ground-shaking steps a figure lumbered forward into Mustang's sight, a large being, unable to be called a man, with grinning jaws dripping with saliva, it's entire body tingling with excitement and anticipation as a greater calling took a vicious hold of its body and mind, contorting the figure with a raw pain until its red eyes clouded over white, and the animal within was summoned forth.

Roy numbly stared it down, mind registering the large body, short legs, muscular, gangling arms, and barrel-sized torso while his heart shriveled and died along with his soul – Roy could no longer register fear, even though his blood rushed and his heart pumped as the beast steadily, bulkily made its way towards him…

The creature licked its lips and tensed its muscles, preparing for what was naturally to come…

Roy's eyes hardened, his mind preparing his body for what was to come… until he laid his eyes on a huddled form under the monster's great shadow – a small, worn and ragged figure lay curled pitifully on the cold stone floor, small wisps of lank, golden hair the only things visible beneath a tattered red coat…

Roy's mind snapped.

"EDWARD!"

The figure didn't stir.

Roy clenched his teeth and spun around towards the creature lumbering towards him. The monster paused, then gave another wicked grin. It looked from Edward to Roy and back again, its dim mind noting Roy's reactions. The monster gave the boy a deafening kick that sent Edward skidding across the cold stone floor; the boy shuddered, and was still once more.

All of Roy's feelings drained away until only absolute rage was left; the soul-less shell of the Colonel knew only the burning inside of him – a burning that rose and swelled until his mind and throat were filled with a dull roar. Roy Mustang charged, his blazing eyes scorching a path towards the hulking beast that hell and fury would be rained down upon for all of the unspeakable crimes it committed. In a snap of the fingers, a burst of flame, and a quick, powerful, and sickening flash of a dagger, Edward's tormentor received the full wrath of the Colonel Roy Mustang; it was over in mere seconds.

Roy stood panting over the smoldering, decapitated mass of flesh before him, an eerie quiet filling the room. Roy's eyes dulled, his body warm from adrenaline and the heat waves rippling through the chamber like liquid, adding to the discomfort caused by his heavy, blood-soaked uniform. Yet only one thing made it past Roy's numbed senses, and only one thing remained in his thoughts: Edward.

Roy turned and deftly walked towards the boy, his decaying heart praying, crying, _screaming_ out to anyone and anything; grasping for the diminishing hope that Edward wouldbe – _could_ be – hoping against hope that Edward _might be_ – alive…

The Colonel stopped and stood over the weary, tattered young alchemist, looking nothing like the arrogant, stubborn, and brilliant boy that had come to Central so many years ago – seeking Roy out so as to become a State Alchemist – searching for a way to right his wrongs… What was before him now was none of that. In a dull twinge of pain in Roy's now-jaded mind, he realized that the boy before him was the boy contorted with pain and suffering of a thousand different kinds that he had seen almost 9 years ago on a rainy night, and yet… this boy was so much worse… the Edward Elric laying crumpled at Roy's feet was beaten and broken, his determination gone; the boy at his feet was dead – dead in more ways than one…

Without realizing it, Roy had fallen to his knees, and was now slowly reaching out a hand to touch the damp, red cloth – it was cold; his fingers silently passed over the pale, chilled skin, and touched the limp, golden strands of hair; yet these light, cautioned touches brought forth no response from the boy, and Roy's quick yet steady gaze at the boy's body affirmed every fear in his heart, and Roy's breath caught in his throat; the silence was absolute – there was no sign of life in Edward Elric. No raspy, labored breathing, no small gasps of pain; his chest, his sides, failed to rise and fall, and Roy knew that Edward was gone. A sharp sting seared through Roy's chest until, in a cry of pain, he let out a choking gasp, his shoulders heaving as the tears streamed down his face. Roy sobbed as he pulled the tattered bundle towards him and held the limp, broken form of Edward Elric in his arms.

Numb from pain, exhaustion, and guilt, Roy convulsed with wet, shuddering gasps as he held the boy tightly, tears streaming from his face and wetting the young alchemist's ragged coat and dirty hair. '_This_' Roy thought as his mind and soul slipped into an un-ending haze, and his hold on the boy loosened, '_is_ _the end…_'

"Edward…" Roy whispered as he closed his eyes, the tears ebbing and the fire within him slowly dying, "I'm so sorry…" And with those words the flame was gone, leaving Roy's heart as cold and still as the boy in his arms. A final, warm tear fell down his cheek, landing softly on Edward's forehead.

"Don't be…"

The words came as soft as a breeze. Roy's eyes flung open; he stared down at the boy cradled in his arms, and began to cry again.

Golden eyes peered up at the man in pain, confusion and concern. "What's wrong…?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He had never seen the Colonel cry before – and his eyes – his eyes were… _dead_…

Roy held the boy tightly to his chest and sobbed into the golden hair. "I thought," he said throatily through his tears, "that you were gone… that you were dead…"

Roy felt Edward's chest rise and fall quickly as he tried to laugh, and felt the violent shudder of pain that coursed through the young alchemist's body. He felt it, but as if he were not there… as if he were dead to the world and only his memories reminded him of what it felt like to feel – to feel joy and terror, pain and strength – to feel _sadness_… to feel that utter hopelessness – that feeling that you are alone and empty, and separated forever from the world and from any kind of warmth or happiness.

Edward looked up into Roy's face, gazing at the worn features and tear-stained cheeks. A small, painful smile appeared on his lips. "You know…"

Roy looked down into Edward's smiling face – that voice… something about it…

"… it'll take a lot more than that to kill me…"

Roy was startled. There was Edward – bruised, beaten and battered, the victim of a thousand horrific, nameless crimes, sitting there in his lap – and _smiling_; whispering in his same old tone of voice – one of defiance and unexplained mirth at the way countless had tried to beat him down but failed. This boy – this boy, who, at the age of 9, lost his mother, at the age of 12 joined the national military, and who now, at the age of 16, had been a prisoner of war and nearly lost his life – was _smiling_… He was as determined as ever, and his thirst for life confused and astounded Roy. Here was the boy he cared about so much – cared for enough to willingly risk his own life – managing to fight and struggle through the grasping, breathless claws of death …. Roy realized with a sad smile that with the fading of his own soul Edward's grew all the greater. He saw the very depths of the blonde 16-year-old's soul shining through his face, the excruciating pain the boy's body was in not even being enough to mask it; he saw the boy's hopes, dreams, and even fears reflected clearly in his golden eyes – saw that even though the body had been broken, the spirit had not; Roy saw that Edward was still there – the _real_ Edward – the one that he had cared for from the start, and had learned to love as time went on; he once again saw his own, younger self in the boy. He saw, and he realized – realized with a swelling burst of warmth and flame from the very depths of his being – that it was _not _over – that while he had been dying, Edward had been thriving – thriving in the light and freedom that a love of life brings – what a love of _others _brings. He realized that even though Edward distanced himself from others, he still loved them – wanted to _protect_ them – wanted them to bask in that same light and freedom that he did – wanted them to be able to continue to live, so that he could continue to love them, and them him… It was at that moment that Roy realized just how much he loved Edward Elric…

Life suddenly coursed through him, setting his senses on fire and making his heart race. Everything came back to him at once in a flood of feelings, emotions, and senses. He was suddenly, painfully aware of the dank chill of the room, the weight of Edward in his lap and the moistness of tears on his cheeks; suddenly became aware of his own thoughts, actions, and feelings. He tentatively looked down at the boy in his lap, and truly saw for the first time the battered, mutilated body, and the life shining through the perceptive, golden eyes. Fresh, hot tears stung Roy's eyes and fell onto the boy's golden head as he quietly brought Edward closer to him still – finally felt the warm breath on his neck, the weight on his chest, and the frail, slender frame inside his embrace – and continued to cry.

"I love you…" he whispered hoarsely through the tears.

Edward closed his eyes and smiled, leaned into the Colonel's strong, warm embrace and quietly whispered back, "I love you too…"

Roy held him there against his chest for what seemed like only an instant, and yet all of eternity, before carefully – quietly – carrying Edward towards the door – towards the door that would lead them outside and into the world – towards the warmth and the light –– towards the people that loved them – towards _life _– and finally and forever away from the death and the darkness that had almost claimed them…

…

Hughes stood just outside the doorway, watching them with watery, tear-filled eyes. This time, Hughes had nothing to say – he could only smile.

…

**Alright gang, what did you think? I really liked it! In fact, I'm really sad now that it's over! Seriously! I mean, I wrote the fucking thing, you'd think I'd be like, "Oh, boy! It's over! Now I can go back to updating my other neglected stories!" when seriously I'm sitting here going, "I hope that someone updates this… I want to see what happens…" Maybe I'm just tired and want someone else to do the work… (shrugs) – Anyway, here's the question of the night! Would you or would you not consider this a yaoi story? I seriously think it could go either way – RoyxEd or just a Roy and Edward relationship (as in father-son, subordinate-superior, etc.) So, please let me know what you think! Maybe it is just me, but I can see it going either way… Gee… I hope someone updates this soon… Shit, there I go again! Gah! Well, I'll tell you what… Nope! Wait! Never mind! I'm going to be adding a "special chapter" in a minute here anyway, I'll give you guys my idea then! Please review!**


	6. CONTEST!

Hello, everyone! It is I, your wonderful authoress The New Fullmetal Alchemist! So, here it is, plain and simple: Roy-Fan-33 and myself are holding a contest.

Here's what you have to do: you have to illustrate your favorite scene/moment/etc. from "It Takes Love to Live" and send it to either Roy-Fan-33 or myself. First place winner will have their work displayed on the home page of Roy-Fan's website and e-mailed 3 ultra-awesome RoyxEd doujinshi! They'll also have their piece posted on the website's homepage, and, get this, the opportunity to decided whether or not the story is to be continued, and be able to name one thing that they want to see happen (although I reserve the right to refuse to do it if it's really, really bad…) – basically, whoever wins gets to decided once and for all (well, maybe not) whether or not Roy and Ed are a couple or just really close… Second place will receive either one doujinshi or the chance to have either Roy-Fan-33 or myself to write a fanfic for them as well as having their piece put in the gallery. Third place winner gets their picture in the gallery and the right to tell everyone they know that they won third place in a huge fanart contest (or ginormous… whatever…) and maybe even a doujinshi or something if we really liked it!

So, that's it! If you have a pic, want more info, etc., send a private message to either Roy-Fan-33 or myself – we'll give you an e-mail address you can send the pic to, and also answer any questions!

… … … … That's it…

So, what are you waiting for? Start drawing, already!

Oh, and good luck! We can't wait to see the results! (We'll get back to you on a deadline, but please, don't procrastinate too much!)


	7. Deadline info

Hello again! Just a friendly announcement from your neighborhood Ford dealer… not really…

Deadline for all fanarts is July 29th, and the winner will be announced in this spot on August 1st!

So, go out there and DRAW, DRAW, DRAW!

BTW, we don't care how you do it – just so long as we get it! Haha!


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